Computer Repair Orange County — Attraction in Los Alamitos

Alright, so for starters, let me talk a little bit about why I came here.

I recently moved to the area and actually had my computer shipped all the way from Wisconsin. Shipping my gaming desktop was quite a scary thing to do but I really had no other choice because I wasn't about to make a flight back from California to Wisconsin then back again for the computer. This option turned out to be cheaper.

When the computer made its way over here the external video card was actually not working (it had worked fine in the past), but on-board video actually got the job done. Didn't know why that was the case but I really didn't mind all too much. So about a week or two into using it, while I'm playing a game, the computer video just completely shuts off, everything - HDMI, DVI, VGA - nothing would work.

That's what brought me to Orange County Computer Repair. I didn't really have the tools to fix the issue myself as I recently moved and I didn't exactly know what the issue was, so I decided to be a little lazy and let someone else take over. It could have been anything, from the power supply not working correctly, the motherboard being completely broken (this is actually a fairly new motherboard) or some other issue.

Anyway, I have this company fix the problem and they call me back fairly quickly and tell me I have two issues. 1., the obvious - the video card isn't working and they can order a new one of the same kind to be shipped to their place and 2., something really stupid with the processor's heat sink. I told them not to order another video card because the cost would be $200 more compared to $150 for just "repairing the processor's heat sink" (which I still regard to be a little overpriced). They said they would have it fixed the same day by 3:00pm - they had called me almost around noon.

So for probably less than three hours of work, they had my computer finished and I went to pick it up a few days later. I did not sign the "satisfied customer line" because I was a little skeptical of that and I didn't want to be trapped if the issue was not fixed. And alas, I go home, test it out, and it doesn't work. So I called them back and I was pretty pissed, but held my tongue, and they tell me that I actually need to take out the video card for my on-board video to even work. After that the computer booted up just fine, which led me to believe that they possibly jipped me of $130 more than they should have.

So for not telling me that I needed to take out my defective video card out for the computer to even function, I removed one star. For being extremely over-priced, I removed another. (Not fair prices at all, at least in my experience.)

Hopefully they did not steal $130 out of my wallet, but who knows? I should have taken the video card out in the first place. I'll have to pass on that bit of information to someone else in my life story who has that issue.

However, I do have two good things to say. 1 - They fixed the issue, or at least told me how to fix my issue for $130 and 2 - They were pretty decently fast. Next time I would probably have them inspect the issue and see what I can do...

Facts about my situation with this repair shop: I was charged for a new OEM screen replacement and received a used one instead. The initial repair did not resolve the issues with the phone, but it created two additional problems: a malfunctioning fingerprint sensor and front-facing camera. The second intent to repair resolved the camera problem, but not the fingerprint censor, and the screen was not properly glued, leading to its detaching. I was never contacted to repair the fingerprint censor.

I came to this shop because it had "good" reviews from years past. But I cannot recommend this business for phone "repairs", especially for a Pixel 7 Pro. Last month, I brought my phone in to replace the front glass digitizer screen and display. I opted for Genuine parts and was told my phone would be ready in about 3 days. However, upon returning home, I discovered two issues: the front-facing camera was obstructed by something inside the phone, and the integrated fingerprint reader did not work.

I returned the phone for repairs, and two days later, I picked it up. While the front-facing camera was clear, the fingerprint reader still did not function. I was assured they would replace the part for free, but it has been 3 weeks, and I never received a call from them. So it seems that they never had the intention to fix the finger print.

Yesterday, I accidentally dropped the phone as I was getting out of my car. Although the back of the phone hit the floor first, my case prevented it from any damage. However, the front glass screen came off, ripping the connecting ribbon. When I returned to the shop, and explained the situation they insisted I pay in full for a new screen.

I have no problem paying for a cracked screen, as I dropped the phone. However, the screen did not scratched or cracked. Instead it came completely off the phone. Upon inspection, it was clear that the screen was not properly glued, causing it to come off completely. Additionally, the screen showed smudges and scratches, indicating it may have been used rather than new. This leads me to believe I was charged for a new screen when a used one was installed.

See...

My laptop hinge broke while I was visiting family in California, so I came here to get it fixed. After the diagnostic, they told me I’d need an entirely new palmrest and quoted me a price. A few days later, they told me the price was actually going to be $150 more. I refused to pay that amount and asked for my damaged laptop back. A few minutes later, they were magically able to quote me the original price I’d agreed to. I received my laptop and could tell that the palmrest didn’t appear to be installed correctly because there was spacing on the side (near USB ports) that hadn’t been there before and my charger didn’t plug in as easily as it used to. Unfortunately, I had to fly back home and wasn’t able to come back and make them fix it. I ended up having to get my laptop serviced again at my local place. The repairman said, and I quote, “I don’t normally like saying bad things about other repair places, but your charging port is broken because they re-assembled your computer poorly. They didn’t even reconnect your webcam!” That level of shoddy workmanship is inexcusable, and I regret coming here to get my laptop fixed. I don’t usually write bad reviews (or reviews in general) but felt that I needed to warn people about my experience. If you’re getting your laptop fixed, I’d suggest going somewhere else. Otherwise, you might need to get it fixed again because of the horrible job...